Type-writing machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. s. GRANDALL.

TYPE WRITING MAGHINE. No. 522,653. Patented July 10, 1894.-

Wnuzsses: f INVENTOR dww 14mm 3 m ATTORN EYS.

(No Model.) 2- Sheets-Sheet 2.

- L. S. GRANDALL.

TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

NQ.522,65s. Patente d Ju1y10,1894

WITNESSES: d S :INVENTQR wa/m BY ATTORNEYS.

UNI'FED STATES- PATENT QFFICE.

LUCIEN S. CRANDALL, OF PARISH, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM A. SWEET, OF

SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 522,653, dated July 10,1894.

, Application filed January 21,1893- Serial No. 459,061- (No model.)

.To aZZ whom'it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LUGIEN S. CRANDALL, o

following, taken in connection with the accom-' panying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to type-writers, and particularly to mechanisms by means of which the platen can be raised or lowered, so that the printing'poin't will always be in the same horizontal plane, whether a single sheet of paper is being printed upon, or whether there are a large number of sheets in the machine, as in manifolding.

My object is to provide means by which the platen of a type-writer can be raised or lowered in a vertical, or substantially vertical line, from its normal position for a single sheet of paper at which the printing line upon the platen is in the proper horizontal plane for the type to strike squarely thereon, and can be adjusted to any height desired or necessary for an increased number of sheets of paper, and set at any desired point of elevation, such elevation being equal to the thickness of the bunch of paper inserted, and in such manner that the printing line is-always in the same horizontal plane, as its normal plane, and is not varied as to its plane, by the increase in the radius of the circle of the platen and the paper thereon; and whereby such variation of radius, or the increase of the distance from the center of the platen,

vertically downward, to the outer surface of the paper at the printing line, will not and cannot affect, disturb, vary nor destroy the alignment of the letters in any of the lines of printingfupon the paper, which in ma chines having no such adjustment of the platen, is caused by the fact that none, or

substantially none, of the type arms can swing to the normal and fixed degree of elevation, or to the normal point or limit of the upward swing; all such machines being aligned with reference to a single thickness of paper upon the platen; and in which the feed -roll is rigidly mounted, not springpressed, and the space between it and the platen is varied by and according to the raising or loweringofthe platen, so that all of the danger of the crocking of the manifold paper, and the irregular and uneven feeding of the sheets, is avoidedwhich is incident to the use of a spring-pressed feed-roller exert ing too strong a pressure upon the paper, and too great frictional contact upon the outer sheet.

My invention consists in the several novel features of construction and operation" hereinafter described and which are specifically set forth in the claims hereunto annexed;

It is constructed as follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure 1, is a top plan of the platen frame, and platen partly sectional, and its mounting partly sectional. Fig. 2, is a transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 3, is an end elevation of the frame and platen, and the cam lever. Fig. 4, is a front elevation of the cam lever, detached. Fig. 5, is a horizontal longitudinal sectional elevation of the platen, its frame, and of the platen mounted therein. Fig. 6, is an end elevation of the platen and the sleeve therein, the arbor or shaft being in section.

The platen frame consists of the frame-bars aa, the front rod band the arbor or shaft b'- rigidly secured in the end bars, and -c'- is the arbor of the feed roller, if one is used also secured therein.

B, is the printing platen, provided with the loose axial sleeve d one end of which is closed by the head -d; and the other by the lever e-, both being secured in place, and the arbor or shaft -'-b'- is journaled in said sleeve closures, eccentric to the bore of said sleeve, and therefore eccentric to the platen. The upper end of said lever is bent over, substantially as shown, creating an arm -e' which is provided on its free end with a pointer hcontiguous to the scale h' upon said end bar; and also provided with a set screw m-- through said arm and the body of said lever, by which said arm is forced against said end bar and by its clamp action secures the lever at any point at which it may be adjusted.

The scale shown, indicates the normal position for a single sheet of paper, and 3, 5 and 8 indicate the position I at which the lever should be set for each of those several numbers of sheets.

The bar --c'- is the arbor of the feed roller -c-, and is also the hinge pintle, loose in the end bars of the frame, and upon which said bars turn when the platen frame is raised or tilted, to expose the line being printed for the inspection of the operator.

It will be seen that by the shifting of the lever to the right and the rotation of the sleeve upon the eccentric center rod will raise the platen in substantially a vertical line, a distance regulated by the throw of the lever and the eccentricity of said rod; that said rotation of the sleeve is adjusted and regulated by the shifting movement of the lever --e, and that the set screw m-- secures the sleeve at any point of adjustment of rotation according to the degree of the swing movement of said lever, so that said lever and set screw constitute means for adjusting the rotation of the sleeve and consequent vertical adjustment of the platen, and that said rod is the actual support of the platen, though it rotates upon the sleeve.

The fingers nmounted upon the front rod and extending under the platen to the feed-roller, are of the usual construction, as is also the pointer --pupon the front of the platen frame, its lower end being adja cent to a scale (not shown) upon the top plate of the machine.

The post -r is one erected upon the carriage frame (not shown), of a type-writing machine, and through the arm --r'- connected to it, supports the rear of the platen frame, and the pintle rod which also carries the feed roller.

It will be seen that inasmuch as the arbor c-- is rigid, the feed roller cis also rigid and cannot yield or spring away from the platen; that the paper space between it and the platen is varied by the vertical movements of the platen; andthat consequently the feed roll cannot exert sufficient pressure upon the paper to cause crocking, nor suffioient strength of frictional contact with or upon the paper to cause any unequal or irregular feeding of the paper, or any hanging back of the outer sheet, or of any adjacent sheet or sheets.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a type-writer, a platen, a loose sleeve axial thereto, a shaft through said sleeve and eccentric thereto, and means to rotate said sleeve upon said shaft, in combination.

2. In a type-writer, a platen, a loose sleeve axial thereto, a shaft through said sleeve and eccentric thereto, said platen being rotatable upon said sleeve.

3. In a type-writer, a platen, a loose sleeve axial thereto, a shaft through said sleeve and eccentric thereto, and means to adjust the rotation of said sleeve, upon said shaft in combination.

4:. In a type writer, a platen, a sleeve loose therein, and axial thereto, a shaft through and eccentric-to said sleeve, the platen being rotatable upon the sleeve, and the sleeve upon the shaft independently of each other, in combination.

5. In a type writer, a platenframe, comprising a front rod, end bars to which it is secured, and a shaft secured in said end bars, in combination with a sleeve journaled eccentrically upon said shaft, and a platen journaled axially upon said sleeve.

6. In a type writer, a platen frame, comprising a front rod, end bars to which it is secured, and a shaft secured in said end bars in combination with a sleeve journaled eccentrically upon said shaft, and a platen j ournaled axially upon said sleeve, and means to adjust the rotation of said sleeve upon said shaft.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of December, 1892.

LUCIEN S. GRANDALL. In presence of- G. W. SMITH, HOWARD P. DENISON. 

